A personal Gun story you won't see on the news!!

That I simply don't know, it's a chicken and egg situation. The media glamourises what is in existence today, and that is .. well do I need to repeat
myself? If it wasn't there, would it still be glamourised?

I think there is a bit of disconnect that occurs when dealing with a cultural exchange like this. People on the recieving end tend to believe it
represent the producing culture more than it does.

Americans are just as guilty of doing this. Before BBC America the biggest dose of English culture we recieved came from PBS reruns of Keeping Up
Appearances and Comedy Central marathons of Monty Python. They both reinforced this idea that English people were unatractive deviants with a weird
sense of humor and false air of superiority. I mean we knew that wasn't what all British people were, but it seemed like that must be a large part of
society or it wouldn't be so popular.

The thing you have to remember about violence in American media is that it does not represent the majority of the culture. The average American lives
their life in peace and quite and will never visit violence on another. The violence in movies represents a two different dynamics. The first is
voyeuristic.

The world of crips and bloods is completely lost on many people. They never see it in real life. Seeing it in a movie is like visiting the zoo. You
can get real close and look. You can pretend you're in a real dangerous place staring down a dangerous beast. Then you go home and live your normal
life. In America it is called "seeing how the other half live."

The second is that it speaks to the insecurities of people in the midst of a changing and challenging world. In a time when America is losing it's
world dominance, and the middle class is disapearing, people are scared and feel powerless. So, they turn to movies where the good guy rages back and
destroys evil. They live vicariously through the hero attacking a defined enemy. They spend their days raging against politicians and buisnessmen and
bosses that they can not effect. It makes them feel powerless in a way. So, when the hero can strike against these things and win it lifts them up.
They feel like they rode along for the adventure. Then they can leave the theatre, turn off the game, or put the book down and go back to normal life.

Violent entertainment is actually our release valve. I would dare say that our ability to express unexpressable emotions through our entertainment
sources keeps us sane. Our violent entertainment contains more guns because guns are a large part of our country's mythos. A lone wanderer carving out
an existence in the wild with his musket. The "minute men" holding back the British with their muskets and sneak attacks. The lone cow boy riding in
to the sunset with his Colt Single Action Army on his side and a Winchester repeating rifle. They are our myths much like the myths of the Greeks and
Romans. Just like thos ancient civilizations they find their way in to our entertainment on a regular basis.

I don't think you can lay that blame on gun owners or our gun laws. I don't think banning guns would change it either. The images are too much a part
of the American fabric to disappear. They aren't meant to change people in other countries. They are meant to comfort and sooth Americans by reasuring
them that some one out there is still strong. Some how we will return to the "good ole days."

As far as gangsta rap. To some extent it is potraying a reality for certain groups of people in certain neighborhoods. However, it represents a tiny
majority of the overall population. Unfortunately it became hugely successful because white kids bought in to it as a way to rebel. The more modern
version by guys like Gucci Man gets out their because they have drug dealers willing to put money behind them. That is a whole other discussion.
Suffice it to say that it represents a tiny minority of Americans and is actually losing popularity in the market place.

I do kind of apologize for foisting a lot of that stuff on the world.

To address your earlier post. I do believe that it can give wayward boys a false sense of what it means to be a man. The images without context tend
to blur reality and understanding. However, I believe that is more of a case for the parent than the legislature. I do understand your concern though
and wish I could address it more fully I just need time to wrap my thoughts on it together coherently.

Just one thing I want to add on that particular subject. A lot of those documentaries and such sell to a very niche audience in America. They actually
sell much better over seas in many cases. When robbed of proper context it seems to feed a mythological idea people have of America. Unfortunately it
isn't a good one. It is one that doesn't represent us clearly. For the rest of the world it feeds this idea of a macho America that is still stuck in
the wild west. Unfortunately that isn't true and most people's perceptions of the old west are untrue.

I understand your feelings on guns. You see them as a scary extension of the violence and hatred that is taking over the UK. You haven't been able to
hold them, handle them, or experience them. A lot of Americans grew up with them and they are as naturual to us as breathing and eating. They have
served many purposes and too us are an extension of responsibilty, independence, and self reliance.

Just different views from different experiences.

edit on 20-5-2011 by MikeNice81 because: word out of place. moved it to fix sentence

I will respond intelligently since it is my thread, and I have that Mod banner by my name, so I have to be as civil and T&C friendly as possible.
Keep in mind, this post is probably the result of a dozen edits.

On the one hand, many of us have partially agreed with your sentiment. That same segment of us have offered advice as to how your sentiment could be
made sympathetic and even legal. On the other hand, the way you have conducted yourself has been harmful to all law-abiding gun owners.

What have we gotten in return for entertaining and assisting you?

Immature insults.

I have a feeling you have never lived outside your mother's home, and it is you that has an overly active imagination fueled by movies and TV shows.
For all of your big talk and name-calling, you would probably soil yourself in the face of danger, shuffle away dejected as your attackers laughed and
hi-fived, and then tell your mother and little siblings what a big man you were, and how you would have just killed them in any other circumstance.

I figure, either you will cowardly follow through on your idiotic ideas, and wind up being someone's wife in jail, or you will grow up, move out of
the house, and see things a little differently. Either way, please stop with the name-calling and insults.

Think carefully before responding to this post, because I think there is a 99% chance your next one will be removed by Mods. Please surprise me and
show that 1% of maturity that surely lives deep inside of you.

I think your attitude is dispecible, because of your thoughts on bloodlust and revenge that go way overboard. You support the bottom of the barrel
type of tactics that brings shame to our so called "moral" society.

Your verbal attack on the civil rights movement, makes me think that you are some kind of racist that supports ethnic cleansing.

But remember, it was your kind of rascist ideas, that brought the first beginings of gun control in the deep Southern portion of the U.S.; by denying
black people the right to carry a firearm in public. The same thing happened in the North, when states were alarmed at the idea that the Black
Panther Party were carrying firearms on public property.

So keep going on with your total lack of compassion and empathy against your fellow man; and pretty soon: The Feds will make an example of you, by
your actions, they will try to deny the right for people to own and carry firearms in the United States.

I have a feeling you have never lived outside your mother's home, and it is you that has an overly active imagination fueled by movies and TV shows.
For all of your big talk and name-calling, you would probably soil yourself in the face of danger, shuffle away dejected as your attackers laughed and
hi-fived, and then tell your mother and little siblings what a big man you were, and how you would have just killed them in any other circumstance.

Two years served in a special tactics squadron for the United States Air Force as a Combat Controller (google it)
Fired more bullets (at people) then you have posts here at ATS. Spend the remaining years in the air force as a Air traffic control since my wife
didn't want me to die, member of two gun clubs where lessons on how to make sure the guy you shoot looks legal for our screwed up legal system.
Killing doesn't scare me, scared people with guns scare me. Your just going to get yourself hurt and those around you.
Lived in over 8 states in the past 6 years as I traveled in the military, and I rarely get to see my mom, maybe once a year.
(snip) Represent your title appropriately and don't try to understand me.

member of two gun clubs where lessons on how to make sure the guy you shoot looks legal for our screwed up legal system.

So you are a member of two gun clubs that teach people how to make murder look legal? That is a great thing to brag about in public. Even if you're
not out right lying all your doing is hanging yourself. If you run your mouth about it here I'm sure you brag about it in other places. All that
means is, if it ever comes down to you doing it, your self defense claim will be gone out the window.

Not much intelligence for a guy that claims to be an Air Force Combat Controller. Of course most spec ops guys I've met never bragged about it in
public. No matter how much they were challenged in public. They personafied the idea of discreet professionalism.

All of your posturing reeks of lies and bravado. It is racist, blood thirsty people like you that give gun owners a bad image. Murder is not proof
that you are a man. You do not shoot to kill outside of a war zone. You shoot to end the attack. If the criminal runs, you stop. If he throws down his
weapon and surrenders, you stop. If he is incappable of fighting back, you stop.

Anything more is murder or excessive force. Like it or not that is how the world operates. Your constant insults do nothing to change that. Your
racist dreams of cleaning the streets, or the gene pool, or what ever do not modify how civilized society acts.

So, if you can not put forth a reasonable argument in a proper way, it may be time to exit an other wise civil conversation.

All I can say is Torq does not represent the typical Brit but one brainwashed into delusion and probably a city-minded one at that.
I was born in Britain and basically hate the way the government have stripped Britons of defence rights in this country.

The USA has it far better and the risk of the occasional spree killer (preventable but they strike in 'gun free zones') is what comes with having
gun rights you have.

HaHa! Camacho's are still legal for now. And, unfortunately, they aren't testing state employees yet. They are worried about the expense and the
liability. I am not even allowed to test my employees when they are obviously and visibly and admittedly tore up.

I'm not dangerous, I never said such, show me where I did. I just said I would shoot someone till they were dead if they tried to attack me or my
family. And I was civil until I was personally attacked by other members on here. Go figure?

What can I say other than thank you. Thank you for taking the time to politely and eloquently respond to me -Mike's last post in response to mine was
wonderful I must say and so was yours Getready.

I think it is important to educate oneself, both in the differences we have and also the manner in which we react to them. I will openly admit I am
perhaps strongly misguided, however in my own defence all I can say is I am witness to things which I find to be "scary" for lack of a better word.

Am I pointing the finger at the wrong cause to those things, perhaps. Perhaps it is all a rather bigger picture issue here, and largely the fault of
the media. I will think upon that and refrain from being so judgmental in the future upon issues I do not have a first hand experience of.

I just wanted to say that it has been enlightening discussing this topic with you both and I truly appreciate that.

f-ck, it sounds like they were ready to kidnap your wife, violate her, kill her and dump her somewhere, or mostly likely bury her, never to be
seen again and end up a missing person statistic with no investigation.

you should have rid the world of those scum. this obviously wasn't the first time they have done this and they sound like opportunists or pre
meditated serial rapist/murderers.

i know it might have been hard without endangering your wife, but you should have let it play out longer until they made a definite attempt on your
wife, yelled at her to run and then start dropping bodies.

at the very lest you should have made them taste the fear of death, so next time they might think twice or God willing stop.

i feel bad, this is evil at it's worst form. the next girl might not be so lucky.

edit on 11-5-2011 by randomname because: (no reason given)

You very candidly missed the point. You wouldn't be a good gun owner. Us concealed holders tend to value not having to use them, that's what
responsibility is about. Wasting some creepy looking folk, no only endangers you, your wife, the three creep people, but anybody that could be coming
down the road that you aren't focusing on. You may be so heavily concentrated on your perceived threat that you don't notice your surroundings
change.

If you are out in public environment, the gun is the very last thing you ever want to pull out. Not only that, but, you will be investigated,
potentially jailed, for murder. You better hope the investigation validates what you thought was happening the time this crime took place.

Walking around with a gun is a huge responsibility... people like you shouldn't own them.

This content community relies on user-generated content from our member contributors. The opinions of our members are not those of site ownership who maintains strict editorial agnosticism and simply provides a collaborative venue for free expression.